The Demon and the Maiden
by MuSiC HaTs
Summary: I will tell you the old tale of a lonely demon and his blind maiden...yes...yes I shall...NaruHina


_Another oneshot?? Where do these come froooom???_

_Song used: The Ogre and the Maiden by Kaito_

* * *

"_Long, long ago  
It has been told__..."_

The wind blew softly through the trees, almost in time with the soft twangs of the shamisen that echoed gently through the air. A lone male figure sat in the shadows at the edge of the forest, playing his instrument as he sang softly. His face was covered by a hood, the only part of his face showing being the edge of his jaw and three thick black lines across his cheek.

"_The kindhearted red demon..."_

_A young man flinched as the sharp edge of a rock hit his temple, keeping his eyes downcast as he ignored the jeers tossed his way, and he slipped away into the forest, long blonde hair covering his face-_

"_And the maiden of a village..."_

_A young woman tripped forward, bracing herself against a tree as she regained her balance, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders, bangs falling over her bandaged eyes as she pushed on, deeper and deeper into the dark, dark woods-_

The man shook his head slightly, his gloved fingers still moving swiftly over the thin strings,

"_Their tale...I shall let you hear it  
Yes, I shall..."_

~*~

**The Demon ****and **_the__ Maiden_

~*~

_On the outskirts of the village in the darkened woods  
Along the path of dirt  
Lies the demon's den_

_**~*~**_

Soft footsteps, short, shaky pants, and the swish of light cloth.

A figure finally stumbled through the trees, and whimpered as they fell to the ground. It was a woman, her dark hair splayed over her face as she groaned softly. After a few minutes, she shakily pushed herself up, brushing her long hair away from her face. With her hair gone from her face, the thick white bandages that were wrapped around her eyes were revealed.

The woman was blind. Slowly, the woman stood, moving ahead in a slow, limp, one of her sandals gone from her slim foot, brushing off the dirt clinging to her blue yukata.

Arms outstretched, the woman moved on, searching for something, anything...so she'd be safe...And after a few minutes of groping nothing but air, the tips of her fingers brushed across smooth wood. Her heart leaped, and tears stung her eyes. A house, she finally found someone; someone who would help her. She sighed, leaning against the sturdy buildng, her hair sliding over her shoulders as she stumbled inside.

~*~

_The lost blind maiden  
Found the old house...  
~*~_

"H...hello? Hello? Is someone here? Please...I'm-I'm lost...I-"

When the man heard her voice, he froze, his crimson eyes wide and wary. His heart began to pound, and his hands trembled; who was that? Who was in his home? He began to move forward, ready to help the lost woman, but he froze, doubts beginning to run through his mind. Even though it was a woman...what if it was a trap? What if it was people from the village, trying to lure him out?

"Hello? Can anyone help me? Please, please, I-" the woman's voice trembled, cracked with the weight of her tears, and the man moved forward, his decision made. Hiding his shaking hands in the sleeves of his dark red yukata, he spoke, his voice shaking, "you're not...why are you here?"

~*~

_Without knowing that was the d__emon's__  
__~*~_

When she heard his voice, the woman jumped, and then turned to where she heard his voice. A few strands of dark hair clung to her face, which was flushed and wet with tears. Even though she was blind, she stepped over to him, arms outstretched, searching, as her face broke into a wide, relieved smile.

_  
__~*~_

_When __the demon calls,  
The maiden smiles  
__~*~_

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed, "I really thought I was alone. Will you help me?"

The man looked at her, confused, "but…" he hesitated slightly, before speaking, "don't you know who I am? Haven't you heard of what people told me?" The woman cocked her head, confused, "no…no, I don't. Who are you? My name's Hinata, by the way." The man felt a knot loosen in his chest, and he smiled, even though she couldn't see it, "I'm…I'm Naruto. Just Naruto."

~*~

_They spent one night together  
They enjoyed that night together  
~*~_

As he wrapped bandages around her injured foot, Hinata talked.

In a soft voice, she told him about the village she came from, how the people there were so nice to her, and her family.

She told him that when she was born, she wasn't blind at first. But, when she was three, she was in an accident that robbed her of her sight. When he asked her if she was sad about it, and she smiled at him, wrapping her arms around her knees.

She wasn't sad about it anymore, because even though she couldn't see the world, she could still _see_ it, in her own way. "It's…it's a little hard to explain…" she mumbled, rising onto her knees, "but…um…oh, come here, I won't bite or anything…"

Smiling, Hinata scooted closer to him, and placed her hands on the sides of his face, "there," she smiled, as she ran the tips of her fingers over his face, "now, I see you." Naruto's face flushed and he smiled, placing one of his hands over hers, amazed at how she didn't flinch away from the feeling of his claws against her skin.

~*~

_The maiden speaks a__bout the village  
And about man  
For the first time the demon  
Learned man's heart  
__~*~_

Hinata could feel the heat from Naruto's blush, and her face filled with a blush of its own.

"A-anyway…" she stuttered, slowly rising to her feet, "I think…I think I have to go now…" Hinata slowly stepped outside, feeling the warm, moist air settle onto her skin, smelling the dew, "yes…it's morning. I have to go." Turning to Naruto, she placed a hand on his arm, not missing the way his arm tensed under her fingers, "I'll come see you again," she promises, "okay? Goodbye…Naruto."

Naruto started at the sound of his name, and finally found his voice, "you…you can't! You can't see me anymore, or you'll…" Hinata's lips parted somewhat, before her lips curled back into a warm smile; Naruto could almost see the corners of her eyes crinkling. Still smiling, Hinata's hand slid away from his arm, and she moved back into the woods, her hands brushing over the trees as she went.

~*~

_Although the demon tells her__ that,  
The maiden just smiles_

_~*~_

_At the entrance of __the woods  
The maiden waits  
__~*~_

Hinata was there, sitting near the edge of the woods, waiting.

She almost looked like she'd fallen asleep standing up; the expression on her face was so peaceful. She was wearing a green yukata today, her hair being blown gently by the wind. Naruto hovered in the shadows, hesitant; he wanted to go over there…but…the villagers…if someone saw…he'd surely be in trouble…and Hinata…she'd be in danger. But she was the first person he'd seen in the longest time…and Naruto wanted to see her.

He was greedy. So, Naruto boldly stepped out of the shadows, and headed towards Hinata. When he was close enough, he called out her name.

~*~

_If the demon__ calls  
She would turn around and...  
__~*~_

The effect was immediate.

Hinata turned to where she heard his voice, her hands clasped to her chest, and she gave him the most brilliant smile he'd ever seen as she ran to him.

All because he'd called her name.

It made his heart melt a little every time it happened. That day, they sat in the shadows of the trees and talked, sometimes they'd walked around the woods a little bit. And, when it was time to go, Hinata said the same thing from when they first met: "I'll come again. Goodbye!"

And it was like this the next day, and the next day, and the next. Naruto was so happy; he never wanted these days to end. But then, one day, when he went to visit Hinata, she had a story to tell that she heard from the villagers.

"Hey, Naruto…I heard something from the villagers today…"

Hinata never moved from her relaxed position, lying on her back, her fingers playing with the blades of grass, "they told me about a demon that lives in the woods. He has red eyes, and claws, and sharp teeth, and they told me that if I don't stay away from the woods, the demon will find me…and he'll eat me up."

With each word, Naruto's heart grew heavier and heavier with dread; was this the day that he never wanted to come? Would she finally realize what she was, and leave him forever?

"But," Hinata continued, turning onto her side to look up at him, "I went into the woods many times, and the only thing I met was you." One of her hands reached out, searching, until she found one of Naruto's hands, "you're not a demon," she murmured, running a finger over one of his long sharp nails, "just Naruto. That's all." Naruto smiled a pained smile, and gently squeezed her hand, neither of them knowing that someone was watching from the shadows.

~*~

_One day the red demon  
Had his house surrounded..  
~*~_

It was late at night when Naruto heard the pounding footsteps, the crackling of torches, the smell of flames.

When he heard it, his heart began to slam against his chest, and he jumped up, running into his small house, just as a small group of men appeared, torches in hands. "There," one of them yelled, "there's the demon! He was the one with that girl! He's trying to take her away!"

Naruto shook his head rapidly as they approached him, his wide red eyes entranced by the flames, "n-no! I didn't...I wasn't doing anything!" he cried out, cringing as the flames got dangerously close to his face. One of the men sneered, pressing the torch even closer to him, "you listen, you monster," he snarled, "you will stay away from the Hyuuga girl, got it? Stop trying to take her away from us! And if you don't leave her alone..." The man moved his flames even closer, and Naruto cried out as the flames licked his cheek, burning him, "say it! Say that you'll leave her alone!!"

Inside, he was crying, screaming, dying; he didn't want to...he didn't want to leave Hinata alone...he didn't want to be alone again...But the flames against his face were _unbearable_ and _he just wanted them to leave_. Closing his eyes, he screamed, "fine! Fine, I'll stay away!! _I'll stay away!!_" The flame was lifted away from Naruto's face, and the men smiled in grim satisfaction, "good. Just stay away from us, you filthy monster."

They spat on him as they left, and Naruto pressed a hand to his burnt cheek, and wept silently.

~*~

_With shaking, frightened, horrified eyes  
__He promises not to meet the maiden and  
To never come again... those promises  
They made the demon promise  
__~*~_

"Hinata"

At the sound of her name, Hinata turned and smiled at the familiar voice. "Naruto," she called out joyfully, practically skipping to him, "how are you? How was your evening? What do you want to do toda-" By now, Hinata had grabbed onto his hand, her free hand grasping on the collar of her yellow yukata. Beneath the hood the covered his face, Naruto grimaced, and began to back away. "Hinata..." he said softly, "I'm sorry...but...I'm not coming to see you anymore."

Her face went blank as she digested what he said, "wh-wh-what?" she finally said, her voice trembling, "what do you m-mean?" Naruto just shook his head, and began to pull his hand out of Hinata's tightened grip, "I'm sorry," he whispered again. Hinata shook her head, "no-no! Naruto? Naruto, I don't _understand._ What happened? Tell me! Wh-why are you leaving me?!?"

~*~

_At the outskirts of the village  
At the entrance of the woods  
He bid the last farewell  
For the maiden's sake  
__~*~_

Hinata felt the smoothness of his claws slip beneath her fingers, and she began to cry, her tears soaking her bandages, slipping down her face. "Naruto," she wailed, "don't-don't g-go! Don't leave m-me, p-please!!" Hinata moved forward, her arms reaching out for him, feeling nothing, and she tripped, stumbling to her knees, sobbing. Naruto tried to block her cries from his mind, and quickly moved away from her, his own tears sliding down his face.

~*~

_Even though the maiden may cry  
He still ignored her  
The red demon cried as well  
Trying to endure.  
~*~_

Hinata sobbed and hiccupped into the grass, grabbing fistfuls and pulling them from the ground. Sniffling, Hinata pushed herself up onto her feet, tripping somewhat as she moved forward, "I-I'm not," she swallowed thickly, wiping at her tearstained face, "I wi-will not...I will not let you go!!" Clenching her hands into fists, Hinata set her shoulders, and ran into the woods, and began to search for her demon.

~*~

_The maiden of a village...  
__Was a white gorgeous-flower  
__Wanting to see the demon  
Bring him to me_

_~*~_

As she ran through the woods, Hinata found Naruto's small home, and ran inside, searching all the rooms, her heart breaking a little bit as she found out that the house was bare.

He was really gone.

More tears spilled over, but Hinata fiercely shook her head. She would not accept that! She would find him; she _will _find Naruto, no matter how long it took her to do so.

~*~

_Endlessly on and  
__Endlessly on..._

~*~

And that began her long search.

For months she looked for Naruto, no matter how hopeless it seemed. Even though she searched, she'd never found a trace of him; it was as if he'd vanished from the woods completely. But she could not give up; she _needed _Naruto, he _had _to be with her. She wanted to hold his hand, to feel his beautiful smile beneath her hands again, to hear…she was _dying to hear his voice again._

She was determined, bent on bringing Naruto back to where he belonged: right by her side.

~*~

_Believing that...s__omeday she'll begin to hear  
The demon's voice  
_

_~*~_

It'd been two years since Naruto left her, and Hinata was walking to the woods again. She was wearing a dark red yukata, her dark hair running over one of her shoulders in waves. The thick white bandages that were around her eyes were gone, showing her eyes, two creamy pearls, which stared at nothing. Hinata let her hands dangle at her sides and looked up at the sky, her face crumpling slightly, as she prepared herself for another hopeless search. Just then, her sharp ears perked up, hearing the soft twang of a shamisen behind her.

"_...Please turn around..."_

Hinata's blank eyes widened, her eyes instantly filling up with tears. That voice..._she knew that voice_; she'd cried, yearned, _ached_ for that voice for the past _two years_. "There-there's no way..." she breathed... "_There's no way_...it can't be...not after all this time..."

"_Can you hear me now...?"_

Hinata jerked around, her sightless eyes finding the cloaked figure sitting in the shade of the trees, his face covered by a hood, a shamisen in his gloved, clawed hands. The wind blew, removing the cloak from the man's face. Spiky blonde hair fell around his face, as crimson eyes stared at the blind woman before him.

Finally, he spoke, "Hinata."

It was him. It was really him.

_Naruto._

The tears slid down Hinata's cheeks.

* * *

_Yay. It's done. Happiness around!_

_Thanks for reading!_


End file.
